Nearby, Levi was still naked and taking his time. The man took forever to get dressed. Hemi was still shirtless, joking around with Ash and trying to break the tension in the room.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Arden stepped inside.
Dom stiffened. Her gaze skated around the room, danced over Levi and Hemi, before zooming straight to Dom. Her cheeks were pink.
He strode toward her, grabbed her arm, and yanked her out of the room.
“I’m sorry you’re angry,” she said.
In the hall, Dom let her go and dragged in a breath.
“The last mission went fine,” she said. “You and the squad protected me—”
“Since then I’ve had my cock inside you. I don’t want my woman anywhere near the Gizzida, let alone this bomb.”
His tone was sharper than his blades.
Arden licked her lips. “I’d love to hide, Dom. A part of me would love to let everyone else do the dirty work, the scary work. But if those bombs go off, they kill us all. I want to fight. I want to fight for my dead husband, for my children—” Her chest hitched.
And just like that, Dom’s anger broke. He hated seeing her pain and wanted to soothe her. He yanked her in close, pulling her hard against his chest in a tight hug.
Her arms wrapped around him, holding on.
“I want to do it for them, but I also want to do it for us. I want more time with you, Dom.”
Damn. She knew exactly how to batter down every one of his defenses. “Arden…”
She looked up at him. “So, I’m your woman?”
“Si.”
She smiled. “Good. And that means you’re my man.”
He yanked her up on her toes, pressing his mouth to hers. He thrust his tongue inside, kissing her deeply.
When they broke apart, she touched her fingers to her swollen lips. “You make me so dizzy.”
“And you touch places inside me that no one has ever touched before.”
Warmth moved over her face. “Dom.”
He released a breath. “We have a mission to get ready for.”
She nodded, setting her shoulders back. “I need to get into my armor and get the combat drone from Noah.”
Dom fiddled with the silk of her hair. “I’ll see you at the Hawk.”
He stood in the corridor and watched her walk away. Whatever he had to do, he’d keep her safe. He’d open a vein for her, kill for her, die for her.
He finished getting prepped, and soon was standing with his squad beside the Hawk. Levi and Ash started loading up the berserkers’ heavily armored motorcycles into the back of the Hawk.
Selena arrived next. The slender woman was in armor, her silver-white hair braided.
Dom glanced at Tane. His leader was silent, but a muscle was ticking in the man’s jaw.
“You follow my orders,” Tane barked at Selena.
Her chin lifted. “I’ll do what the mission requires.”
Tane’s eyes narrowed and Dom bit his tongue. It hadn’t escaped any of them that the woman hadn’t exactly agreed to obey.
Then Arden appeared. As she walked into the hangar, her gaze met Dom’s. She smiled at him. She held the large combat drone in one hand and he moved over to take it from her. The damn thing was heavy.
“Ready?” he asked.
“I’m ready.”
“All right.” Tane’s deep voice reverberated around them. “Let’s go destroy a bomb.”
Chapter Twelve
Arden’s belly was jumping all over the place, like it was filled with twisting snakes.
She sat in the Hawk, trying to keep her breathing steady. A jumble of voices murmured around her and Dom was a solid presence sitting beside her. She was glad he was with her.
She knew just how important—and dangerous—this mission was.
After some time, the quadcopter began to descend, and she knew that they were at the drop site.
The berserkers all rose, looking calm and focused. She scanned them one by one. So tough, so lethal. Each of them, regardless of their past lives, had been on so many missions like this, ready to fight, defend, and protect.
Tane, his dreadlocks pulled back at the base of his neck, opened the side door. His dark gaze caught hers, his face so emotionless. He gave her a brief nod.
Then Dom’s fingers curled around her arm. She looked at him and saw the same steady determination.
These men wouldn’t let fear stop them. They’d fight—for her, for the others at the Enclave, for a chance at life.
And Arden would do the same.
She let Dom help her up and reached down to grab the combat drone off an empty seat. Outside, she gazed at all the trees, pulling in the green scent of the forest. A wide, muddy track speared away to the north. A second Hawk swept into view above them, its illusion system flickering off to reveal its dull, gray body. She spotted Finn Erickson, their best Hawk pilot, in the cockpit. He flicked two fingers at them.
Selena joined Arden. The alien woman somehow looked nervous and calm all at once.
“Okay?” Arden asked.
“I was going to ask you the same thing.”
“I’ll be happier once this is over.”
Together, they watched the berserkers set up two small ramps and roll their monstrous bikes off the Hawks. As the men each claimed their bikes, she watched them start to mount up. They all suited their machines—big, rugged, unique.
Tane turned to Selena and raised a hand. He curled a finger at her. Selena hesitated for a second, then walked over. Gingerly, the alien woman climbed on behind the squad leader.
Arden turned, pressing the buttons on the drone to activate it. With a beep, it rose up in the air, hovering above her.
Nearby, Dom swung a muscled leg over his bike and settled on the seat. She saw him start the silent, thermonuclear engine.
“Have you been on a bike before?” he asked.
She shook her head.
He held out a hand to her and she took it. She trusted this man with everything—her body, her battered soul, her dented heart. She swung on behind him. He pulled her arms around his middle, and she held on tight.
“Don’t let go,” he warned her.
She nestled into him, their bodies pressed together. For a brief second, she hated the carbon fiber between them. They were about to head into a dangerous situation, deep in alien territory, but strangely, Arden felt safe. Dom made her feel safe, but it was more than that. Arden felt stronger, like she could do her part.
Her kids would be proud of her. Jason would call her badass.
“No raptors on screen, Tane.” Indy’s calm voice in their earpieces.
“Acknowledged. We’re heading up the track now.” Tane’s bike shot forward, Hemi following.
Dom took off, and Arden clenched her fingers harder around his stomach.
He followed the others and they moved down the overgrown track. The trees grew thick around them, and pretty ferns grew in profusion as well.
She could easily imagine the tourists trekking down this path, excited to be heading to see the glow worm tunnel. The echoes of old voices rang in her ears.
The Gizzida had stolen so much. Taken what wasn’t theirs.
Today, that ended.
Arden looked all around at the other berserkers. The bikes were silent, but they still looked badass.
They bumped along the rutted track, taking the turns and curves. Dom dodged some heavy potholes and track marks that looked quite new. Her stomach tightened. They were in the right place.
“You guys should be at the tunnel entrance.” Indy’s voice over the comm line.
Arden felt the bike slow beneath her. She leaned around Dom and looked ahead.
The entrance to the tunnel loomed before them.
It was a large, oval shape, with ferns hanging down all around it. The ground in front of it was disturbed, with deep, rutted marks.
Her throat thickened. The aliens had been here.
Tane lifted his hand, and
everyone pulled the bikes to a stop. The berserkers cut the engines, then rolled the bikes off to the side of the track.
As everyone dismounted, Arden checked the drone. It hovered silently in the air nearby, already starting to scan and record the area. Around her, the berserkers moved into position, lifting their carbines.
“I’m ready to blow up some alien shit,” Hemi muttered.
Arden looked at Dom, so still and composed. His gloved hands were wrapped around his weapon, his knives ready and sheathed on his belt.
“Let’s move.” Tane jerked his head.
As one, they moved toward the tunnel entrance. Arden’s heart beat hard and loudly in her ears.
They stepped inside the darkness and into a fairytale.
Arden couldn’t hold back a gasp. She arched her head, looking at the sprinkle of color along the roof of the tunnel. The glow worms looked like stars. Nearby, she saw Selena staring in wonder, her face alight.
“Keep quiet,” Tane murmured. “We don’t want to announce to the aliens that we’re here. Indy, we’re heading deeper into the tunnel.”
Indy’s garbled, distorted voice came over the comm.
Tane’s lips pressed into a hard line. “Damn. We’re losing comms in the tunnel.”
They marched deeper into the glow worm tunnel.
Arden tried not to trip, but the glow worms didn’t give off much light. Just enough to make out the shadows of the others.
They kept moving, and she couldn’t begin to guess how far they’d gone. Ahead, she sensed the tunnel widening out.
The drone moved in front of her, and she knew it was scanning. She had a tiny screen attached to her wrist, the screen’s brightness down as low as possible. She glanced at it, and saw no sound, no heat signatures.
“I can’t see a fucking thing,” Hemi muttered.
“Do we risk flashlights?” Ash asked.
“Stop,” Tane murmured in their earpieces.
They all stopped, except for Selena. She took a few more steps forward. Tane reached for her, but the woman lifted a hand toward the roof. Her fingers uncurled.
All of a sudden, the glow worms flared brightly. Arden bit her lip, watching as a wash of blue-green light filled the tunnel.
Oh, God. Selena was communicating with the tiny creatures. Incredible. The light illuminated the roughhewn, rock walls and bumpy floor.
And the octagon-shaped bomb resting in the center of the space.
The men all swiveled, aiming their carbines and muttering curses.
Arden’s drone beeped softly and she quickly lifted her tablet screen. Her heart leaped into her throat. “I have heat signatures.” Her voice was an urgent whisper. “They’re flaring to life all over the tunnel.”
A deep, inhuman growl echoed through the tunnel, raising the hairs on the back of her neck. She felt the berserkers tense all around her. She lifted her head and watched hellions wink into life in the tunnel.
They had long, canine-like bodies, with spikes along their backs. Drool dripped from their jaws and they had red-glowing bellies filled with poison.
The alien hunting dogs slunk out of the darkness. Somehow, they’d been camouflaged, and her mind turned to the stealth raptor she’d tangled with.
“Arden, get to the bomb,” Tane ordered. “Squad Three, let’s make a little mess.”
“With pleasure,” Levi said.
The berserkers opened fire. The laser fire was loud in the enclosed space, lighting up the darkness.
Arden darted to the side, moving along the wall.
She watched the hellions bound toward the berserkers. Her heart was hammering hard and she prayed everyone would be okay. She saw carbine fire hit the lead hellion. Its belly exploded, its body tumbling over and over before it smacked into the ground. The red ooze from its stomach, sizzling as it made contact with the dirt.
As more hellions raced toward the berserkers, growls and snarls filled the air.
“Bring it on, baby.” Hemi’s cry.
She had to get to the bomb.
Inching farther along the wall, the big, dark shape of the device loomed ahead. She had to cross several meters to get to it.
She lifted her chin. She could do this.
Then suddenly, a hellion leaped in front of her. It lowered its head and snarled.
Oh, shit. Arden froze, just as her drone swung in front of it. She heard a whirr, then the drone sprayed a clear oil at the creature.
The sharp scent of cedar filled the air, and the hellion started snarling wildly. It shook its head frantically for a moment, before it slunk away and disappeared.
She blew out a breath. Thanks, Noah.
Arden set her shoulders back. Time to destroy the bomb.
* * *
Dom threw a grenade. It arced through the air and landed in a clump of hellions.
One, two, three. It exploded, spraying cedar oil all over the creatures. They started shaking their heads and snarling.
No, you don’t like that, do you? Carbine fire was brighter than the glow worms above, lighting up the tunnel.
Nearby, Hemi roared, firing oil from the end of his carbine. “Take that, assholes.”
The yips and cries of the injured hellions filled the space.
Dom kept firing, but lifted his head, searching for Arden. He saw her close to the far wall. He watched her drone drive off a hellion.
His gut clenched. He hated that she was here, in danger. The need to protect her was so strong it damn near strangled him.
She darted forward, running closer to the bomb.
So brave—beautiful and elegant, but steel and iron beneath her soft skin. She was a true survivor.
Suddenly, Griff cursed savagely. Dom spun just in time to see Griff trip over the rough ground. Sensing a weakness, a hellion leaped into the air, claws slashing. It pounced on Griff.
Dom yanked a knife out and threw it. It hit the hellion in the face, and the alien dog let out one yelp. It landed hard beside Griff and toppled over.
Dom slapped his hand against Griff’s and yanked his friend up.
“Thanks, man,” Griff said.
Together, they both lifted their carbines. They walked forward, firing on the pack of alien dogs.
“Raptors,” Tane yelled.
Dom tensed. He scanned the back of the tunnel and spotted them coming out of the shadows on the far side of the bomb.
Cazzo, Arden would be caught between the berserkers and the raptors.
Levi threw a grenade and it arrowed through the air. “Cineole.”
The grenade exploded, spewing oil over the alien soldiers. Grunts and guttural shouts filled the air. Dom saw the closest raptor press a claw to its head, blood weeping from its eyes.
Dom checked on Arden again. She was crouched down low, watching the fight. She wasn’t at the bomb yet, but she was close.
Her drone was busy firing on the raptors.
The berserkers kept moving forward, kept firing, kept fighting. They had this. Dom smiled briefly. Only a few more hellions, and then they could take down the remaining raptors.
Then they could disable the bomb and get the fuck out of here. He could get Arden back to safety.
The ground trembled.
What the hell?
Dom looked at the dirt floor. Something burst out of the ground near his boots. As adrenaline surged through him, he watched a tentacle shoot upward with a spray of dirt. The damn thing was as thick as his waist, and a dark, fleshy gray. It slammed into him and knocked him over.
“Watch out!” he shouted.
Dom hit the dirt and rolled. He sat up, and all around, he saw the berserkers cursing and dodging. More tentacles were spearing up out of the ground. Another tentacle broke out of the dirt and started coming right at him.
Cazzo. Dom saw the suckers all over the tentacle and he rolled. He whipped his carbine around, firing on the tentacle.
It burst open, goo flying everywhere.
Shit. Damn. Fuck. A rush of realization hit h
im.
The small suckers they’d seen at Lake Lyell had been babies. This was the mama.
He leaped to his feet, firing on any tentacles that he could see.
He heard a woman scream and spun. Arden was surrounded by several tentacles, all of them waving wildly, keeping her caged in.
“Cazzo.” Dom aimed and fired.
Her drone joined in and a second later, she darted away from the tentacles.
A larger tentacle speared upright in the center of the tunnel. With a shout, Hemi opened fire on it. But the tentacle swung, slamming right into Hemi. It lifted the man off his feet and threw him into the tunnel wall.
Nearby, several tentacles burst up in front of Selena. Tane fired on them, but two more came up behind her. Selena spun.
“Selena, get out of there!” Tane roared.
She ignored him, crouched, and pressed a hand to the ground.
Dom wasn’t sure what she was doing, but the tentacle started waving faster, more frantically.
Then the tentacles closest to the woman burst open, one by one.
Selena smiled and rose.
With terrifying swiftness, another tentacle slithered across the ground, aiming right at Selena. Dom opened his mouth, but before he could warn her, it wrapped around one of her legs and yanked her off the ground.
She hung upside down, struggling to break free.
Tane ran toward her. He leaped over another tentacle, sprinting closer.
More tentacles speared up out of the dirt. Dom turned and fired. Tane would get Selena. Dom had his own woman to keep safe.
Arden was facing two more tentacles. Every time she tried to dodge them, they matched her movements. Beyond the bomb, raptors were firing their poison-filled weapons.
The berserkers kept firing, but more and more tentacles appeared.
One rammed into Levi, its suckers clinging to his armor.
“It burns,” Levi yelled. The man yanked out his gladius combat knife and slashed at the tentacle.
Dom kept firing.
He had to get to Arden. He had to help his squad.
He’d had next to nothing his entire life. Now, he had friends—brothers—and he had a woman who was his. He wasn’t letting anyone take them from him.
Dom: Hell Squad #18 Page 10
